Auxiliary table



Aug. 3, 1965 puuc u 3,198,145

AUXILIARY TABLE Filed April 10, 1963 INVENTOR. Horace 6. DuncanATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,198,145 AUXELIARY TABLE HoraceG.Duncan, 3050 S. Vine St., Denver, Colo. Filed Apr. 19, 1963, Ser. No.272,034 2 Claims. (Cl. 108-59) This invention relates to auxiliarytables, primarily of the type for use with other tables.

It is included among the objects and advantages of the present inventionto provide an auxiliary table which may be used in conjunction withother tables to provide a small extension thereof which is out of theway from the other table and provides a surface for placement of food,beverages, and the like. The device is particularly useful as anauxiliary table for bridge or other small tables, wherein the auxiliarytable is provided with a cutout or notch arranged to precisely fit acorner of such a card table so as to provide an extension thereof at thesame height of the top of the card table. The arrangement permits a cardplayer to have a clear card table for the game being played and anauxiliary table for beverages or food, ash trays, cigarettes, and thelike. In addition, the device is provided with a hinged filler for thecutout space so that the table may be used as a separate snack tablewhen not needed for the auxiliary table. The auxiliary table of theinvention is foldable so that it is easily stored out of the way.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention may be readilyascertained by referring to the following description and appendedillustration in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a card table illustrating positioning offour chairs therearound and an auxiliary table according to theinvention placed at each corner of the card table;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an auxiliary table according to theinvention shown in position on a corner of a table;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the table of the invention showing the fillerfor the cutout of the auxiliary table;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a folded table according to the invention;and

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the hinge member of the auxiliary table ofthe FIG. 3 taken along section line 55 showing the arrangement with thefiller in position with the surface of the auxiliary table.

In one form illustrative of the invention, auxiliary table includes arelatively small planar surface member which may be of any desiredthickness or any construction with a cutout notch 12 arranged to fit acorner of a table 14. In this instance, the cutout section is triangularshaped to fit a sharp right angle corner of a rectangular table. It isobvious that the cutout may be made with an arcuate portion to fitrounded corners and in other embodiments may be made circular to fit acircular or semi-circular table. The table top 10 is mounted on a legsystem shown in general by numeral 16 which is foldable and may be ofthe designs currently used for small tables such as snack tables, TVtables, or the like. The leg system includes two U-shaped members bentin near the middle and joined together, and this includes U-shaped legmembers 18 and 20 secured together by bolts, rivets or the like 24joining the midsections of the legs. The leg member 18 is provided witha brace 22 to prevent the legs from spreading apart, and the brace issecured to the legs in conventional manner. The legs are pivotallysecured to the table, as shown in FIG. 3, by means of snap brackets 26secured to the table and releasably supporting the leg members.

3,198,145 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 The planar table member 10 is providedwith a filler member 30 which is the same shape as the notch 12 and withan edge 32 arranged to match or mate the edge of the table 10 to form acontinuous perimeter. In the instance shown, the table 10 is rectangularand the edge 32 is constructed to complete the rectangular table It).The flap or filler member 30 is secured to the table top by means of apiano type hinge 34 which permits the filler to pivot into and out ofthe notch 12. The filler may be used when the table is not placedagainst a card table whereby it will provide a contiguous surface withthe table for part use as an independent small table.

The auxiliary table of the invention as shown in use in FIG. 1 whereinfour of such auxiliary tables are placed against card table 14, one ateach corner. It is noted that the auxiliary tables provide an extrasurface for the players seated around the table without utilizing thecard playing space of the table 14. This alleviates spilling beveragesand food on the main table and thereby reduces the chances of soilingthe cards. The placement of the tables 10 extending outwardly from thecorners of the table 14 leaves sufiicient room for chairs 15 for theplayers and the room is sufiicient to permit the players to move to andfrom the table as the play progresses without disturbing the auxiliarytable alongside the players.

For convenience, the table 10 should be of the same height as the table14 so as not to have a bump or a ledge between the corner of the table14 and the auxiliary table 10. Likewise, the notch should be made tosmoothly mate with the corner of the table 14. The size and geometry ofthe table 10 is not critical, although it should be considerably smallerthan the table 14 for its intended purpose, and it may be maderectangular, oblong, circular, or the like. The legs may be of anyconvenient type, and generally folding legs are preferable sinceauxiliary tables are put away when not in use. The legs may benonfolding for permanent card rooms, or the like. The finish on theauxiliary table can be made to match or contrast with the card table ormade of any other decor in the room in which it is being used. Aconventional latch or catch, not shown, may be used to secure the fillerwith the table. Various types of latches may be utilized with the filleror flap 30 to prevent accident by the untimely collapse of the flap 30.In some instances a latch may be desirable to temporarily secure theauxiliary table to the main card table.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particulardevice, there is no intent to limit the spirit or the scope of theinvention to the precise details so set forth except insofar as definedin the claims.

I claim:

1. A self-supporting auxiliary table for square card tables comprising agenerally square planar member of a size substantially smaller than thetable with which it is associated, a triangular cutout portion arrangedcenterwise in one side of said planer member and arranged to mate in anon-attached abutment with a minor portion of one corner of a card tableextending diagonally outwardly from the corner, the area of saidtriangular cutout being substantially less than the area of the planarmember so as to abut against a minor portion of the card table sidesleaving a major portion of each side of the card table clear for the useof the occupants, foldable leg members secured to said planar member andarranged to support said planar member horizontally .and atsubstantially the same height as the adjoining a t 3' card table, aplanar filler arranged to fill'the space of said cutout and form asquare auxiliary table, and means hingedly connecting said filler withsaid auxiliary table.

2. A self-supporting auxiliary table of the type described comprising arectangular planar table member of a relatively smaller size than thetable with which it is to be used, a triangular shaped cutout portioncenterwise in .onetside of said planar member arrangedto mate in anon-attached abutment with a minor'portion of the corner of a four-sidedcard table extending diagonally outwardly from the corner leaving thesides of her arranged to fill the space of said cutout and form arectangular auxiliary table, and means hingedly connecting said fillermember with said auxiliary table.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,289,245 12/18Otte l081l9 1,308,350 7/19 Gay ..1 l0866 1,411,741 4/22 Merdzinski l08662,092,441 9/37 Ciprus 108-90 2,452,979 11/48 Zuckerman l0866 2,815,25612/57 Richardson l0859 3,053,598 9/62 Cheslow l0864 FOREIGN PATENTS847,405 9/60 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

1. A SELF-SUPPORTING AUXILIARY TABLE FOR SQUARE CARD TABLES COMPRISING AGENERALLY SQUARE PLANAR MEMBER OF A SIZE SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN THETABLE WITH WHICH IT IS ASSOCIATED, A TRIANGULAR CUTOUT PORTION ARRANGEDCENTERWISE IN ONE SIDE OF SAID PLANER MEMBER AND ARRANGED TO MATE IN ANON-ATTACHED ABUTMENT WITH A MINOR PORTION OF ONE CORNER OF A CARD TABLEEXTENDING DIAGONALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE CORNER, THE AREA OF SAIDTRIANGULAR CUTOUT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE AREA OF THE PLANARMEMBER SO AS TO ABUT AGAINST A MINOR PORTION OF THE CARD TABLE SIDESLEAVING A MAJOR PORTION OF EACH SIDE OF THE CARD TABLE CLEAR FOR THE USEOF THE OCCUPANTS, FOLDABLE LEG MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID PLANAR MEMBER ANDARRANGED TO SUPPORT SAID PLANAR MEMBER HORIZONTALLY AND AT SUBSTANTIALLYTHE SAME HEIGHT AS THE ADJOINING CARD TABLE, A PLANAR FILLER ARRANGED TOFILL THE SPACE OF SAID CUTOUT AND FORM A SQUARE AUXILIARY TABLE, ANDMEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING SAID FILLER WITH SAID AUXILIARY TABLE.